Many techniques have been successfully employed to recover targets discovered with a metal detector. In fact, several disparate techniques may be alternately utilized by an individual detectorist, depending upon the depth of the target being recovered.
Targets located between one to three inches (1"-3") deep may be buried within the root structure of most grass species. As such, the removal of a shallow target may require delicate handling to avoid disturbing the transfer of ground moisture to the surrounding soil. As most experienced detectorists can attest, grass is easily killed when the moist dirt attached to the grass roots is removed or otherwise distressed. To minimize any associated grass damage, a probe, such as a screwdriver having a rounded tip, may be utilized in conjunction with a knife, garden trowel, or other cutting implement, to recover a target.
When utilizing a probe recovery technique, it is vitally important to initially pinpoint the target. Specifically, after the general location of the target has been established using a metal detector, a probe is inserted into the ground until the target is contacted. Using the insertion depth of the probe as a guide, a cutting implement is utilized to carefully cut a slit above the target, wherein the slit is approximately three to five inches (3"-5") in length and has a depth slightly less than the insertion depth of the probe. Thereafter, the probe is inserted diagonally into the ground from an end of the slit until its distal end is positioned underneath the target. By levering the dirt under the target with the end of the probe, the target is forced upwardly through the slit. Upon successful recovery of the target, the slit is closed by hand.
Targets buried more than three inches (3") deep generally cannot be recovered with the above-described probe recovery technique. With such deep targets, a detectorist oftentimes utilizes a plugging technique to retrieve the target from the ground.
As with the probe recovery technique, it is extremely important to initially pinpoint the target with a metal detector prior to employing a plug-type target recovery technique. Thereafter, once the location and depth of the target have been determined, a three-sided square plug, having sides approximately four to five inches (4"-5") in length, is cut with a knife or garden trowel around the target, with the fourth, uncut side of the square plug serving as a hinge. As known in the art, the hinged, uncut side of the square plug allows the plug to be reinserted into the ground substantially in its original orientation. When cutting the sides of the plug, the cutting implement should be inserted perpendicularly into the ground to minimize grass root damage, and to insure that the plug will remain in the ground after replacement. The target may then be retrieved from beneath the square plug by folding the plug over on its uncut side, thereby exposing the underlying soil. After successfully recovering the target from the soil, the plug is pivoted in a reverse direction about its uncut side and replaced in its original position.
The above-described probe and plugging recovery techniques have long been successfully utilized by detectorists to retrieve a target from the ground. Unfortunately, the resultant grass damage, the prolonged, inaccurate target retrieval, and the large number of tools required for the practice of such recovery techniques, leave many detectorists longing for a quicker, simpler, less damaging and more accurate method of target recovery.